The season is turning out perfectly so far for the Yreka High School girls tennis team.

Yreka is in the drivers seat to earn its first Northern Athletic League regular season title in six years. The Miners are currently 8-0 for the NAL season after taking down Central Valley on the road 8-1 on Thursday. Last year, Yreka took third place in the NAL.

"It's really cool we're undefeated," said senior Bethany Belknap, who plays No. 5 singles and in No. 3 doubles. "We're all really close this year and we're always super supportive of each other."

If one player has a bad game, she said, there is always another team member with words of encouragement.

A veteran team with four seniors in the top six single slots, along with a deep roster full of promising underclassman, head coach Steve Pyles said that he and assistant coach Rob Bicego are ecstatic about the direction the team is heading this year and in the next couple of seasons.

A key to the Miners success this season is how focused and committed the entire team is, Pyles said.

"They play each point like match point," he said.

A strength this year has been the Miners doubles teams, which have lost only a few matches this season.

"We live and die by doubles," Pyles said.

This year's team has done a great job of working together in doubles and playing to its strengths such as using strategy and technique to properly place the ball where it needs to go.

In doubles, it's vital to have the players be on same page working together. If not, things can easily fall apart, which has certainly not been the case for the Miners this season, as they have all worked very well together, Pyles said.

Senior Katie Bicego, who is currently the No. 3 single players and plays No. 2 doubles, said it has helped that many of the girls playing this year have been with each other since freshman and work well together.

"We know each other well off and on the court. We complement each other," Bicego said.

Pyles commended the seniors on his team, saying they have developed from when they first came in as inexperienced freshman to a terrific group of experienced, passionate tennis players.

Currently, Pyles said, Corning and University Prep still have an outside shot at the league regular season title, but, Pyles said, the team is certainly shooting for ending the season as champs. And, he said, it is certainly a possibility the Miners can end the regular season 12-0. This week, Yreka faces Anderson on the road today and Corning at home on Thursday.